Queen'splatekitten is the 5-2 morning line favorite for what shapes up as a contentious renewal of the $100,000 Red Bank Stakes (gr. IIIT), the one-mile Independence Day feature on the Monmouth Park turf.
Six of the eight entrants in the Red Bank are listed at odds of 6-1 or less, including 2010 winner Get Serious. The race is the 10th on the July 4 card with a probable post of 5:17 p.m. EDT. All were assigned 116 pounds.
Queen'splatekitten, to be ridden by Chris DeCarlo, is entered in the Poker Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Belmont Park turf July 4 as well. He is one of four horses in the Red Bank field who may instead race in the Poker, along with second choice Monument Hill, Boots Ahead, and El Commodore.
Mill House's Queen'splatekitten, from the Todd Pletcher stable, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Eclipse Stakes (Can-III) over Polytrack at Woodbine May 26 in his second start of the year. The 4-year-old Ontario-bred son of Kitten's Joy won last year's Marine at Woodbine before finishing fifth as one of the top choices in the 2011 Queen's Plate.
Moved back to the turf during the summer, Queen'splatekitten ran a tough second to Brilliant Speed in the Saranac Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 4.
Monument Hill, trained by George Weaver for Shamrock Farm, has gotten a bit of a breather since rallying for fourth in the Elkwood Stakes on the Monmouth turf May 19. The 6-year-old Maryland-bred Royal Academy horse has finished in the money in his other five starts this year, including a pair of wins. The 7-2 second pick is seeking his first stakes win and would be ridden for the first time by Elvis Trujillo.
Weaver also entered Agnes Peace's Boots Ahead (9-2), fifth in the seven-furlong Jaipur Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont June 8 after prompting the pace. The 6-year-old by Storm Boot won a minor stakes last September on a soft inner course at Belmont. Kendrick Carmouche has the mount.
The 8-year-old millionaire Get Serious seems to be rounding into form for trainer John Forbes as he makes his third start of the year. The New York-bred City Zip gelding is coming off a third at 32-1 odds in the nine-furlong Monmouth Stakes (gr. IIT) on firm going June 10. A 10-time winner in 18 tries on the Monmouth lawn, he will be teamed with regular rider Pablo Fragoso and they are pegged at 4-1 on the early line.
Lubash, another New York-bred, just missed in his last start, the restricted Kingston Stakes May 27 at Belmont. That was the first race for the 5-year-old son Freud since transferring to the Christophe Clement barn. Joe Bravo will be aboard Lubash, who is making his second start of the year, and they are listed at 5-1. Lubash, owned by Aliyuee Ben J Stable, was previously conditioned by James Ryerson.
Yummy With Butter (6-1), fifth in the Monmouth Stakes, is seeking his first win since capturing the Oceanport (gr. IIT) and Cliffhanger (gr. IIIT) in back-to-back fashion last summer over the local turf. Bruno Schickedanz's 8-year-old Ontario-bred son of Silvador has lost six straight for trainer Yvon Belsoeur.
El Commodore enters off a win in an optional claiming allowance heat on the Delaware Park turf May 26.
$100,000 Red Bank Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 10, 5:17 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Yummy With Butter (ON), P Lopez, Y Belsoeur, 6/1
2. Boots Ahead (KY), K Carmouche, G Weaver, 9/2
3. Get Serious (NY), P Fragoso, J H Forbes, 4/1
4. Lubash (NY), J Bravo, C Clement, 5/1
5. Hermosillo (NJ), C C Lopez, S L DiMauro, 30/1
6. Queen'splatekitten (ON), C P DeCarlo, T A Pletcher, 5/2
7. Monument Hill (MD), E Trujillo, G Weaver, 7/2
8. El Commodore (KY), A Serpa, G A Griffith, 8/1
All assigned 116 pounds.